Sommeil physiologique du sujet âgé

Sleep disturbances are common and significant complaints of elderly people. Sleep disturbances may be caused by many factors such as physical lltness, psychiatric disorders, increased use of medications, changes in social patterns (retirement, death of a spouse or loved one), and changes in circadian rhythm. Changes in sleep patterns may be part of the normal aging process. Compared with young adults, the elderly tend to have delayed sleep onset, fragmented sleep, early-morning awakening and decreased time in sleep stages 3 and 4. Rapid eye movement (REM) sleep occurs earlier and the first REM period duration increases. The duration of REM sleep episodes tends to be even during the night.